Lost in Paradise
by Vampire Queen of NOLA
Summary: Caroline has finally come to terms with her feelings for Klaus- and she shows him in a way that he never would have expected. The song she sings is Lost in Paradise by Evanescence if you're curious, as I couldn't really work every single line of lyrics in xD Enjoy!


Katerina Petrova had lost her damn mind, and now, she was going to wish she had never stepped foot in New Orleans. And it was one thing, if perhaps she had only been spotted trying to sneak through or something of the sort, but no. Niklaus had received a _phone call_ from her, saying she was done running and ready to face her punishment. Once a group of nightwalkers confirmed that she was at one of the local bars, he ordered them to ensure she didn't leave and called Marcel to join him. After all, he was already sharing his kingdom- why not share in a bit of torture, as well? He wouldn't dare admit that he'd been itching to really take his time and return to the way he'd once treated it like an art form, because as of late, he'd been agitated to an extreme degree. _However long it takes_, he'd said, and yet, Niklaus Mikaelson had never been a patient man. Lack of any word whatsoever from Caroline had him more frustrated than he could describe.

"I don't get it," Marcel was saying as they walked to the bar. "She runs from you for five hundred years, and now this? It just doesn't make sense."

"You think I don't see that, Marcel? I'm not a bloody fool, she probably has something planned. _But_, allow us to revisit a point I've made to you in the past." With a smirk, Klaus stopped in front of the bar's entrance, reaching for the handle. "I can't be killed. So whatever this is, I'm more than confident that we can handle it." With that, he pushed open the door, and his first reaction was, _It's too damn quiet in here._ There were murmurs, soft voices, a few complaining about a blonde who'd commandeered the stage. He only had a moment to consider this and begin turning when he heard his name- through the speakers.

"Klaus?" That was when he saw her, in all of her glory- and was that the Petrova bitch, sitting at the piano? But no, he didn't care, _couldn't_ care, because his shocked expression was frozen on the blonde woman standing at the microphone, her hands clasped and clear nerves in the smile she offered him. "Don't- don't be mad, okay? I kind of bribed Katherine to help me, I know you're like, huge on dramatic effect, and…"

"You can handle it, huh?" came the amused chuckle at his right, Marcel clearly enjoying the stunned state Klaus was in. He didn't get a response.

_"Caroline."_

"Just, uhm- I-I don't know, sit or, or stand, or whatever, I just… I have a lot I need to fix. And I thought this would be a good way to apologize…" Klaus could barely think in that moment, and only one thing circled in his mind, disjointed and confused- _Why is she apologizing? Why is she here?_ Caroline turned, gesturing to Katherine, her movements a mixture of grace and nerves that brought a ghost of a smile to his lips. Whatever she did, she always looked like an angel, in his eyes. Every movement was like a effortlessly executed step in a dance, enthralling and hypnotizing- even when she was fierce, when she was nervous, when she was scared, God, _she was beautiful._

And as Katherine's fingers began to glide effortlessly over the piano, starting in on the first few keys of a song, he brushed past Marcel to settle into a seat at the bar, never once removing his gaze from the blonde vampire. Marcel followed him, that much he knew, but it was like a bare brush against his subconscious mind, always aware but not really paying attention right then. Everything was _her._ Her, in a black dress that brushed her knees, silk that clung to her skin wonderfully but flowed with every movement she made. Her, with those glorious golden locks framing her face in the warm stage lights, gifting her with a halo- a _crown_ of light. His angel. His queen.

_"I've been believing in something so distant, as if I was human…"_

He'd never heard her sing before. The hybrid realized this the moment she began to let her angelic voice flow through the bar, effectively eliminating all remnants of conversation that he'd encountered upon first entering the bar. It was a haunting melody, but what made it strike him most was the way her eyes were trained on his- just as he refused to look away, so did she, solidifying the fact that she was singing for _him._ Could she reach any higher level of perfection?

"Who is she?" Marcel was staring, too, though his eyes occasionally flickered to the hybrid king, curious about the man's reactions. With a frustrated, impatient gesture, Klaus silenced him, leaving the joint ruler wondering even more about the young vampire singing. He waved for the bartender and silently gestured for two drinks, leaning against the bar as he settled in to watch the performance. He'd noticed that Klaus had been carrying some form of depression, drinking far more regularly than he'd ever remembered the man to do in the past and being so much more _emotional_ than he'd ever seen. He'd tossed it aside in the belief that perhaps Klaus had simply changed over the years, and maybe he had, but the way his former mentor was staring at that woman, Marcel couldn't help but think that this woman was the _exact reason_ those changes had come about.

_"As much as I'd like the past not to exist, it still does. And as much as I'd like to feel like I belong here, I'm just as scared as you."_

The melody was so gentle, but at the same time, so powerful- it was some strange combination of the simple piano accompaniment, the words themselves and how much they could _fit_, and the woman who had so easily become his world singing them to him. Klaus ignored the drink set at his elbow, sitting up straighter as her voice filled the bar powerfully; _she cared._ It was a sudden realization, and he wasn't sure why he believed it so easily. Paranoia was a damnable thing, and he was a paranoid bastard through and through, but- were there tears in her eyes? Was he seeing things? He could hear the emotion in her voice, could feel through to his very soul how much she meant every single one.

He couldn't help himself, he couldn't stay sitting; Klaus rose to his feet, torn between going to her _right then_ and interrupting the song or letting her finish. In his chest, his heart was beating so very hard it hurt- and was he afraid? Yes. Of all the things in the world that could scare him, losing her was at the top of the list. She didn't know about Hayley, didn't know about the unborn child. She could change her mind. But God, he wanted to cherish this, and he wanted to believe that she would stay, no matter what.

_"And now, I'm lost in paradise…."_

And then, it was over. The melody faded, the last notes of the piano slowly swallowed by silence before he had made his decision of whether or not to interrupt. Still, he felt frozen, trapped by her stare as she wrapped her hands around the microphone.

"I… I'm so sorry, Klaus. I didn't want you to leave. Not without me, but I was so _scared_ and I didn't know how to say what I was feeling, because I couldn't face it, but this… this is where I belong. With you." A small, cautious smile curved her lips, and she let loose a breathy laugh. "Will you still show me your favorite place in the world?"

And then, she was gasping, Klaus not caring in the least that his supernatural speed had been seen by everyone present- he was wrapping an arm around her waist, his free hand cupping her cheek as he pulled her flush against against him and into a possessive, aching kiss that spoke of just how _long_ he'd been waiting to do just that. He'd kissed her while in Tyler's body, but that hadn't been anything like _this_- she knew it was him, but despite that (or because of it?) her arms were winding around his neck and pulling him closer. The whole of the bar erupted into applause, and that was enough to remind her that they were the center of attention, making her break the kiss and laugh shakily. Klaus wasn't laughing, though; he kept her attention on him with gentle pressure from the hand cupping her cheek, his expression almost frighteningly serious.

"It's right here," he breathed, his voice scarce above a whisper. "My favorite place in the world is wherever you are, love."


End file.
